The Magic Words
by multifandommaneuvergear
Summary: Will finds that "doctor's orders" are his magic words -this takes them on their journey to their first date, their first kiss, and the big proposal. {post-BoO}


**The Magic Words**

Pairing: Solangelo

Setting: Quite some time after BoO

Summary: Will finds that "doctor's orders" are his magic words -this takes them on their journey to their first date, their first kiss, and the big proposal.

_To Hans and Marchel, the people I promised this fic to. Better late than never. Love you guys!_

…

Nico never really complains about the palette of greys and blacks that paints his life – they are everywhere he looked, from the shadows he manipulates, the dead and the Underworld, to his very own cabin in Camp Half-Blood. In fact, he actually _likes_ these colors; he likes them enough for almost every article of clothing he has to be in those colors. Save from this one exceptionally loud souvenir shirt he got during his adventures with Reyna during the Giant War.

Everyone has to adjust to the light after hours in darkness, but Nico actually has to adjust to the colors, as well. The colors around him when he sets foot outdoors make him uneasy, and call him what you want, but the darkness always was home for him. It always felt like the light was chasing him away, down to his dark rabbit hole where he belongs. He didn't feel what everyone talked about – how bright colors made them cheerful and whatnot. It just made him feel _awkward_.

Well, at least, not until this moment in the camp infirmary, after getting a nasty cut on his leg from an Ares' camper's 'accidental' sword mishap. The entirety of the indoor, wooden structure is bathed in soft, natural light that streamed through the windows. And in probably the cheesiest sense, he could feel the warmth of the gentle colors seep through him. For once, he genuinely likes it. He didn't feel it chasing him away.

He is the only patient there, and as he sits on the edge of a bed, he could see the row of empty ones, well-kept and unruffled. Beside him, he could hear the rummaging of various medical equipment, thanks to a certain son of Apollo, Will Solace.

Will just seems to fit in the backdrop – he is bright and warm and light himself, from his not-so-tanned, not-so-pale skin, his light eyes, and his bright blond hair. Which makes Nico realize how out of place he probably looks like; he is the darkest one in the whole room, with his black hoodie, pants, leather boots, and hair. Any other given moment, he would've wanted to shrink back into the shadows.

But this time he finds the light enticing.

Or maybe, it isn't as much as the light, but the boy beside him. _That_, or the bleeding cut he still needs to fix.

Will finally rises with his box of equipment; Nico felt a heave in his chest. He swears the room just became degrees warmer from Will's bright, megawatt smile. "So, you ready?" Will asks. "Not the least bit nervous?"

Nico snorts, "Please, I've had much worse. We're demigods – this is child's play."

Will shrugs, "I suppose. I mean we are demigods who survived two wars." He chuckles, then adds, "It's the new kids that freak out too much over these things."

He begins to undo the piece of cloth tied around Nico's cut, applied as first aid. Will's fingers that brush against Nico's skin are warm and pulsating. The cut would be ghastly to someone who hasn't seen the fullest extents of demigod horror. But Nico barely notices it, and instead, focuses on the Son of Apollo masterfully and painlessly making stitches. Nico had to admit – in the light-filled room, though there is an actual burning source outside, Will is the sun. He actually wished Will would work slower, so he could enjoy his time here longer – but he would never admit this out loud.

When Will wraps up, Nico feels a pang in his chest.

"Well," Nico begins, but hesitates, "thanks. Again. I guess I'd have to go now."

"Already?" Will says as he plops down the bed beside Nico's and cleans his hands with a cloth. "You should rest your foot for a while. Besides, what else do you have to do? We'd probably ruin our captain's plans for Capture the Flag if we decide to butt in in the middle of action."

Nico considers this, his mind reeling, unable to pinpoint which thought to entertain first – the fact that Will wants him stay, the fact that _he_ wants to stay, or the fact that he is hyperaware of practically every detail in this room, from the strands of hair rising in his body, to the corners of Will's lopsided grins.

"What are we supposed to do here, then?" Nico asks.

Will shrugs, but his gaze is hopeful. "Help me sort out the medicine?"

"Again?"

"Let's sort it alphabetically and by color scheme this time!" Will brightens, already grabbing the containers and dividers already. Somehow, Nico doesn't find it shocking that besides other magical remedies, mortal remedies abound. Or at least, they are mortal-looking remedies, pills and tablets – some of them could probably turn your skin green or something equally horrible, which is probably the reason why Will is so meticulous with labeling.

"Don't worry about it," Will began, noticing Nico's mildly daunted expression, "it isn't as tedious as it looks. Besides, you need to rest your leg."

"But-"

"Rest your legs and stay," Will says, authoritative but gentle, even friendly, "doctor's orders!"

There is really no way around those words, once they spill out of Will's mouth. As one of the camp's best healers, he knows curing doesn't just involve good patchwork and a bunch of bitter medicine or even nectar and ambrosia. Sometimes, at least, according to Will, it needs rest.

Nico also remembers Will saying laughter and relaxation also helps with the healing process, which often prompts him to silly suggestions which involve staying over, playing Mythomagic cards, watching movies or the sunset, among other things. Funnily enough, Nico would always find that they do, somehow, work. Maybe it didn't really speed up the healing process of wounds or any other physical injury, but Nico would always find something healing inside of him. He guesses that's how it is when you're with someone you care about. Not that he would admit this out loud, too.

"Fine," Nico gives in, shrugs, and makes an effort to hide his enthusiasm. After all, what else can he do? Will already said the magic words.

And as it turns out, Will's claim is right – sorting out the meds isn't the least bit tedious. Not when you're in a heated discussion about Mythomagic cards.

…

Nico can't quite wrap his head around the fact that he, Nico di Angelo, Heir to the Dead and King of the Creeps, ended up with a date. He just stands there, mouth wide open and dumbfounded, the object of a Son of Jupiter's teasing stare.

"Well," Jason crosses his arms and smirks, "that went well."

"Shut up, Grace!" Nico's cheeks flushed a deep shade of red, and shoved Jason by the shoulders – not that it would work, the guy is too strong and well-built.

"I guess I should leave you along to prepare for your _date_," Jason winks, a stupid little smirk still plastered on his face, and walks away. Nico swears he can hear Jason's efforts at restraining his chuckles.

One moment, Nico was just innocently sitting by the beach, admiring the profound colors of the sunset he found he now enjoys – warm colors really do make people feel warm! Then, Will Solace walked up to him, his blond hair tousled, his Camp shirt under an unbuttoned, plaid polo shirt. And then Nico was all of a sudden spilling deep existential thoughts, thoughts he often preferred to remain only for his neurons to interpret, to Will, who was willing enough to listen.

Somehow it was so easy to confide to the walking ray of sun.

That's when Will pipes up, making Nico nervous, about another one of his 'healing' suggestions. "There's this cool Disney movie I always wanted to see on the big screen. We should go see it. It'd be fun. It's a Disney movie. They're always fun."

"Please tell me it's not Frozen," Nico frowned.

"It's _not_ Frozen," Will stuck his tongue out. "Come on, Nico! It's just what you need."

_Oh no_, Nico thought, that's exactly what he said about the time they played Mythomagic by the beach together, or the time they spontaneously had a picnic by the strawberry fields, and many other of Will' 'healing' suggestions.

"Go watch the movie with me; it'll be fun," Will was determined, "_doctor's orders_." And Will walked off, the smile never wiped from his face.

It was as if Will wrote the prescription, a Disney movie, and gave it to Nico, and he had no choice but to take the medicine. He was stuck with it. Not that he was complaining. In fact, he felt.. excited. After all, he can't deny the magic words.

That's when Jason Grace popped out from the shadows, just happening to conveniently be there, watching the whole thing, smirking like an idiot.

…

Okay, the Disney movie was fun.

Nico is finding himself walking out of the theater all warm, fuzzy, and most importantly, hopeful inside, like the trailer and the obnoxiously large movie posters promised. Smiling is actually starting to get easier for the son of Hades, so when Will gives him one of his brightest ones, Nico smiles back.

"See? I told you Disney movies are awesome," Will declares, "we should watch the others next time – even like the really old ones like Lion King and Mulan and-"

"Another one of your 'healing' suggestions," Nico raises a brow and smirks.

"Well, you gotta admit," Will teasingly pokes a finger at Nico's chest, "it works."

Then, a couple with a toddler around four-year-old in tow suddenly emerges from the cinema's double doors. They hold hands, smiling at each other, while the mother holds the toddler in another hand. They look like a happy family.

Nico and Will smile at this. Then, promptly blushed.

There is a few seconds of silence until Will finally says, "uhmm, Nico? Listen."

The air becomes thicker and Will becomes more fidgety. Nico can see him nervously tucking his hands on his jeans pockets, as he usually does when he's anxious. "So I was wondering – well you see I uhmm.." Will stops then blushes, then scratches the back of his neck, and Nico isn't sure whether it's the street's bad lightning, but he can swear that Will was starting to look pink around the cheeks. "I'll just go out there and say it, promise not to shut me down too harshly."

Nico has no idea what he is talking about.

"So.. will you go to the Fourth of July Fireworks with me?" Will spits out rapid-fire, like a jackhammer gone wild.

If Nico were drinking something, that moment would've ushered the perfect spit take. "W-what?" Nico stutters, unsure whether he is hearing him correctly.

"Will you go to the fireworks with me," Will says, calmer and slower. But he grows redder.

Nico is stunned. He obviously did not expect that. Sure – he spent, and is spending, a lot of time with Will lately. He enjoys his company. When he's with him, his world turns from bleak and black to wonderful and poignant shades of the sun. Wow, he can't even believe he just admitted _that_. Cheesy as it is, it's true. But he always thought that Will just wanted to be a friend. He even had the thought that maybe Will felt sorry for him, after all that's happened during the previous wars, and his entire life in general, so he wanted to hang out to make him feel better.

But Will became more and more enthusiastic to spend time with Nico – much to his friends' – the furious 'Solangelo' shippers of Camp Half-Blood - enjoyment. In fact, Will often went out of his way to try to hang out with Nico, whether it was just to talk or to have heated debates about which is the best Mythomagic card. But he never imagined this – that Will Solace could actually like him. Like him enough to in fact, ask him to the fireworks, which is only the _biggest_ dating scene in camp. Nico felt as if the wind was knocked out of him.

Nico thinks that Will would use the magic words – _doctor's orders_. But to be honest, he didn't have to.

"Yes," Nico replies, "I'll go to the fireworks with you."

…

"You're doing that again" Will frowns, watching Nico's face flicker with brilliant colors because of the fireworks overhead. The Hephaestus Cabin had really outdone themselves this year – the fireworks are bigger and better than ever. But as they sit there, their picnic blanket near the shore, the otherwise black horizon, if there weren't fireworks, is eye level.

"Doing what? Nico asks innocently.

"You're frowning!"

"Isn't that my default expression?" Nico deadpans. But Will chuckles anyways.

"True, but you've been smiling a lot more often lately, and I really like your smile."

"Well, you don't always get to smile in life," though the tone of his words are more grim, Nico's lips are curved into the slightest smile. But the atmosphere above them, a backdrop of black and twinkling stars, and a foreground of the most spectacular lights, practically hypnotizes you to lose yourself in your thoughts. Melancholy or glee.

Then Will began to grin like an idiot and straightens his back, his feet jerks with the movement, creasing their picnic blanket. "Do you know that that kissing increases happiness?" he just blurts out.

Nico hopes his face is too bright from the fireworks display for Will to see his reddening face. "It releases endorphins, which are the happy hormones. It also decreases pain, since it makes you release adrenaline. It also reduces stress – since it lowers cortisol and all, which is the stress hormone."

Nico's heart thumps wildly, but the Hephaestus' cabins sound system is more than enough to drown it down. "I'm not saying it's gonna solve our problems," Will continues shyly, "but I'm pretty sure it'd help."

Nico snorts in response. "Another one of your 'healing' suggestions?" And he has to admit, it's his best one yet.

Will chuckles, then just replies, "Just kiss me, di Angelo. Doctor's orders."

Let's just say, the scene that unfolds next makes a few Camp Half-Blood shippers – namely, Jason, Piper, Annabeth, and Reyna, very happy.

…

Nico's head reels with choice strong cuss words as his boyfriend of several years kneels before him in front of a very, very large crowd of strangers. Nico hates public displays of affection, specially of the extra-cheesy variety. And now, his boyfriend is attempting to do just that, and, as much as he loves the fact that he is in fact, proposing, he just wishes Will isn't making such a huge spectacle over it.

"Nico," Will begins, and Nico's mind is on overdrive: _Oh my gods – he's gonna say the cheesiest shit that's gonna be so embarrassing in front of everyone!_ His heart pounds in anticipation.

But instead, Will just says, "Marry me. Doctor's orders."

And that's actually better than anything Nico could ever hope for.

**THE END.**

_A/N: Sort of intended for a crack-ish ending. Thanks for reading, hope you liked it! I would appreciate it if you told me what you think. _


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